When you talk about blood types, you’ll probably be thinking about the 4 human blood types – A, B, AB and O. Not many people would know that horses can be and are separated by “blood” types, but as the apostrophes indicate, these “blood” types are very different from what we humans are used to. Do read on to learn more!

Generally, horses can be categorized into 3 major “blood” types – warm blood, hot blood or, surprisingly, cold blood. Unlike humans, these “blood” types for horses refer not to their actual blood type but more on which breeds they are and what role they are best suited to play in the horse industry. So, when a player in your horse game mentions that his or her new horse is a “cold blood”, it doesn’t mean that the horse has blood similar to a reptile’s! After all, the laws of nature have already made them the magnificent warm-blooded mammals that they are.

That being said, what do these terms actually mean? Well, these terms are basically informal terms that horse ranchers use to group breeds loosely based on their temperament. For starters, “hot bloods” mainly refer to refined light saddle horses such as Thoroughbred, Barb, Akhal Teke, Shagya, and Arabian horses. As you may have noticed, hot bloods tend to originate from warmer climates. These athletic horses are often built for speed and endurance due to their more streamlined physique, allowing them to excel in speed and/or endurance-based events, like long distance riding and racing. Hot bloods are also generally described as having a nervous temperament and may seem more energetic than any other equine breeds. They are, as any teen might say, the “jocks” of horses.

The polar opposite of these hot bloods are of course the “cold bloods”. Cold bloods are not at all built for speed as they tend to be heavier than “hot bloods” are. In spite of that, cold bloods are the favorite of the common folk, particularly farmers in the olden times, as they are known for their immense strength and stamina. Due to these characteristics, along with a gentle and calm temperament, cold bloods are the perfect horses to work in the agriculture industry, such as ploughing the fields and hauling timber. They are often the horse of choice when it comes to pulling trams and barges along the canals due to their ideal temperament as well. Some examples of cold-blooded horse breeds include Fresians, Brabants, Shires, Clydesdales, and Haflingers.

Last but not least... the “warm bloods”! Unlike what you may think, warm bloods are not always produced by breeding a hot blood with a cold blood horse. After all, temperament isn’t something that can be genetically passed on. Instead, this term imply that a horse has a “blood” type that seems to be a mixture of both blood types. Due to having the best of both worlds (the 2 other “blood” types), warm bloods are athletic, middle-weight horses with not only power, but also strength and stamina. They are generally intelligent and have temperaments that make them easily trainable.

Because of this, warm bloods are almost always sports horses that are suitable for quite a range of equestrian disciplines such as dressage, showjumping and sometimes, combined driving and eventing as well. They are also used for light to moderate agricultural work as needed. They are even used as cavalry mounts, or to draw wagons and carriages too. In other words, warm bloods, which include breeds like the Andalusian, Cleveland Bay, Lipizzaner, Hanoverian, Holsteiner, and Trakhener, are the “jack of all trades” in the world of horses.

So, now that you know about these unique “blood” types of horses, you’ll be able to confidently use these terms when conversing with your fellow horse enthusiasts. Isn’t it great to have learned something new about the animals you love?